The prior art of bedding equipment includes storable sleeping apparatus such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,076 to Knobeloch, which is a rectangularly-shaped bag-like container enclosing a foam pad, with a cover sheet attached at one container end, the apparatus being foldable into a roll. While this design allows for storage, it is not designed for portability and it does not provide storage for personal items which a user typically carries when traveling, such as clothing, a toothbrush, etc.
A portable changing caddy for a baby having a basket and a foam pad folded around the basket is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,024 to Morton et al. This size of the folded pad in this design is not suitable for sleeping or resting as it is related to the size of the basket contour, which is relatively small.
A convertible mat and carrying bag combination for sunbathing is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,111 to Hall. In this design, a thin foam mat is foldable into a size for storage in a carrying bag, which has a carrying strap. Because this is a two-piece arrangement, the possibility exists that the mat and bag will become separated during use, and one of them may be lost. In addition, the thin foam mat does not provide a comfortable resting surface.
As with many accessories related to sleeping or resting while traveling, there is a need to simplify the equipment available with regard to bulkiness. In the designs described above, the provision of a thin foam pad reduces bulkiness, but at the expense of comfort. Use of a thick foam pad, however, creates particular manufacturing difficulties since upholstery stitching is required to enclose such a pad in a covering fabric, and this requires special machinery.
In addition, the need to periodically clean portable equipment after use is not easily accomplished with existing foam pad designs, since water which enters through the covering materials does not easily evaporate. Furthermore, existing equipment does not satisfactorily address the need for storage of personal items, including accessories for beach use such as a sun umbrella.
The need to provide temporary arrangements for sleeping and resting occurs in many situations, including those involving guest accomodations, or when children stay overnight at the home of a friend. Outdoor camping activities also require sleeping equipment. When traveling or visiting while caring for an infant, there is always the need for temporary sleeping or resting equipment. At the beach, portable and comfortable lounging equipment is always needed. In short, a coordinated solution is needed to address the problems of portability, comfort and storage of related personal accessories, in many applications.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide washable portable sleeping/lounging apparatus which allows for comfortable rest and provides for convenient and compact storage of personal accessories.